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History
The Foundation for Contemporary Research (FCR) was started by academics at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the erstwhile Peninsula Technikon (Pentech)who wanted to support civic struggle against apartheid in the late 1980s. Formalisation of FCR occurred during 1989-1990, during which period the first full-time staff members were employed and a formal office was opened near the UWC campus in Bellville.
Local governance emerged as the
primary focus of FCR, with the targeted constituency being civic
organisations. During its early years FCR mobilised civic struggle
against the discredited local government system of the apartheid
government around issues such as evictions, whilst simultaneously
assisting community organisations and activists to prepare themselves
for the possibility of becoming new local government actors with the
demise of apartheid.
In the period 1993 to 1994, FCR’s staff increased as returning exiles from overseas and Robben Island joined the organisation. This new cadre of staff helped build FCR’s linkages nationally. It was during this time that FCR became a founding affiliate of the erstwhile Urban Sector Network (USN) and collaborated more actively with several other urban development and local governance-oriented organisations, enabling experiences and lessons from each others’ work to be shared across the country.
From 1998 FCR focused its work on poverty alleviation, particularly in the Western Cape Province. From 2001 to 2009, the organisation’s two programme areas had been Participatory Democracy (Good Governance) and Developmental Partnerships (Municipal-Community Partnerships).
In the period 1993 to 1994, FCR’s staff increased as returning exiles from overseas and Robben Island joined the organisation. This new cadre of staff helped build FCR’s linkages nationally. It was during this time that FCR became a founding affiliate of the erstwhile Urban Sector Network (USN) and collaborated more actively with several other urban development and local governance-oriented organisations, enabling experiences and lessons from each others’ work to be shared across the country.
From 1998 FCR focused its work on poverty alleviation, particularly in the Western Cape Province. From 2001 to 2009, the organisation’s two programme areas had been Participatory Democracy (Good Governance) and Developmental Partnerships (Municipal-Community Partnerships).
Organisation
Renewal
Towards the end of 2009, FCR began an
important strategic review process to critically reappraise the
organisation's development approach and development strategy. FCR
introduced a new single integrated programme to efficiently realise
their mission and vision.
The single integrated program, the
Community Leadership and Civil Society Capacity Building Programme uses
an intervention process model where learning, action and research are
all integrated within the process.
FCR's new development approach
addresses expressed community needs in a way that is focused, strategic
and also flexible.
It is important to note that FCR
remains committed to promoting, supporting and advancing community and
civil society participation in developmental processes that aim to
serve the priority needs of marginalised communities.
As a result, FCR will focus on
capacity building as its main prerogative because of the great value
achievable through these initiatives.